Dawid du Plessis is a practising Attorney in the Cape Town branch of STBB. Dawid started his career at the Road Accident Fund’s Randburg office in 1997 where he gained valuable experience in third party law. He was admitted as an attorney in 2005 and joined the STBB team in 2007. Dawid is part of the personal injury department.

Accidents happen, and so does payback

A cycling accident is an overwhelming and traumatic experience and also a frequent occurrence. Cyclists and motor vehicle drivers should respect each other on the road, but the concerns highlighted by Arrive Alive show that this ideal is still far off.

Accepting that an accident can occur, it is prudent to also try and remember some important first steps, after the immediate urgency and injuries have been attended to.

  1. Obtain as much information as possible from those around. Names, contact numbers and details of witnesses.
  2. Take photos of the scene and the position of the vehicle afterwards, if a camera is at hand.

Depending on the seriousness of the incident, you may want to institute a claim for personal injury including costs resulting from the incident, including the physical injury. This is possible when one party is to be blamed for the accident, or also where some contributory negligence exists on the side of the person claiming.

Keep in mind further that some injuries only become obvious at a later stage when it may be difficult to prove that it stems from the accident. Be sure to keep records of medical advice sought.

For assistance with a claim for a personal injury, contact Dawid du Plessis at dawiddp@stbb.co.za.

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